Standards qualifying diamond
For many people, a diamond is the largest purchase of their life. There are four Criterions used to qualify a diamond, which simplifies the four Cs — cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, in this text, as well as diamond certifications and two important institutes will be introduced.
Cut
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance, Most gemologists consider cut the most important diamond characteristic as it has a direct correlation to a diamond's appearance. A diamond with Ideal/Excellent cut grade proportions will return the maximum amount of light to the viewer's eye. Even if a diamond has perfect color and clarity, a diamond with a poor cut will have dulled brilliance.
The width and depth can have an effect on how light travels within the diamond, and how it exits in the form of brilliance.Light is lost out the bottom causing the diamond to lose brilliance.
Light escapes out the sides causing the diamond to appear dark and dull.Determining a diamond's cut grade, however, goes beyond simple measurements of width and depth. Using an optical measuring device, a three-dimensional model is created to determine the diamond's proportions and angles. The interrelations between these various dimensions will greatly affect how light reacts once it enters and how it behaves once it exits.The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.
lTable: The largest facet of a gemstone lCrown: The top portion of a diamond extending from the girdle to the table. lGirdle: The intersection of the crown and pavilion which defines the perimeter of the diamond lPavilion: The bottom portion of a diamond, extending from the girdle to the culet. The facet at the tip of a gemstone. The preferred culet is not visible with the unaided eye.Polish and symmetry affect sparkle
Polish and symmetry are two important aspects of the cutting process. The polish grade describes the smoothness of the diamond's facets, and the symmetry grade refers to alignment of the facets. With poor polish, the surface of a facet can be dulled, and may create blurred or dulled sparkle. With poor symmetry, light can be misdirected as it enters and exits the diamond. The polish and symmetry grades are clearly listed in each diamond detail page and within the GIA or AGSL diamond grading report. For the most beautiful diamond, look for a symmetry grade of excellent (EX), very good (VG), or good (G) for a GIA graded diamond, and ideal (ID), excellent (EX), very good (VG), or good (G) for an AGSL graded diamond. Avoid diamonds with symmetry grades of fair (F) or poor (P), as the alignment of their facets may misdirect light so severely that it affects the brilliance of the diamond.
Color is the second most important aspect .When looking at a diamond, the human eye notices the diamond's cut first and its color second. Color becomes especially important when considering diamonds of larger size, since the additional light reflected from a larger diamond can make the color more noticeable.
The color in diamonds graded detracts from the beauty of a diamond. It's especially noticeable set in platinum or white gold
D
Absolutely colorless. The highest color grade, which is extremely rare.
E
Colorless. Only minute traces of color can be detected by an expert gemologist. A rare diamond.
F
Colorless. Slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a "colorless" grade. A high-quality diamond.
G-H
Near-colorless. Color noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but these grades offer excellent value.
I-J
Near-colorless. Color slightly detectable. An excellent value.
K-M
Noticeable color. Not carried by Blue Nile.
N-Z
Noticeable color. Not carried by Blue Nile.
.Diamonds with the color D are absolutely colorless and are considered the rarest and most desirable. Diamonds with the color grades of E and F are still colorless to the naked eye. The color in diamonds of these grades can only be detected by an expert gemologist.
Diamond Clarity
The clarity grade has little effect on a diamond's visible appearance except in larger diamonds. The larger a diamond is, the larger the facet; larger facets expand the visible clarity. Out of the 4 C's, clarity is considered the least important. It is primarily the precision of thecut that determines how brilliant and sparkling a diamond will be. The better the cut, the less likely you will be able t Certifications A diamond certificate, is a report created by a team of gemologists. The diamond is evaluated, measured, and scrutinized using trained eyes, a microscope, and other industry tools. A completed certificate includes an analysis of the diamond’s dimensions, clarity, color, polish, symmetry, and other characteristics. Institutes Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL). These two laboratories are among the most respected laboratories in the diamond industry, and are known for their consistency and unbiased diamond grading systems. Diamonds that are accompanied by these grading reports are the most highly valued in the industry.
Table of Contents
Standards qualifying diamond
For many people, a diamond is the largest purchase of their life. There are four Criterions used to qualify a diamond, which simplifies the four Cs — cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, in this text, as well as diamond certifications and two important institutes will be introduced.
Cut
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance, Most gemologists consider cut the most important diamond characteristic as it has a direct correlation to a diamond's appearance. A diamond with Ideal/Excellent cut grade proportions will return the maximum amount of light to the viewer's eye. Even if a diamond has perfect color and clarity, a diamond with a poor cut will have dulled brilliance.The width and depth can have an effect on how light travels within the diamond, and how it exits in the form of brilliance.Light is lost out the bottom causing the diamond to lose brilliance.
Light escapes out the sides causing the diamond to appear dark and dull.Determining a diamond's cut grade, however, goes beyond simple measurements of width and depth. Using an optical measuring device, a three-dimensional model is created to determine the diamond's proportions and angles. The interrelations between these various dimensions will greatly affect how light reacts once it enters and how it behaves once it exits.The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.
l Table: The largest facet of a gemstone
l Crown: The top portion of a diamond extending from the girdle to the table.
l Girdle: The intersection of the crown and pavilion which defines the perimeter of the diamond
l Pavilion: The bottom portion of a diamond, extending from the girdle to the culet. The facet at the tip of a gemstone. The preferred culet is not visible with the unaided eye.Polish and symmetry affect sparkle
Polish and symmetry are two important aspects of the cutting process. The polish grade describes the smoothness of the diamond's facets, and the symmetry grade refers to alignment of the facets. With poor polish, the surface of a facet can be dulled, and may create blurred or dulled sparkle. With poor symmetry, light can be misdirected as it enters and exits the diamond. The polish and symmetry grades are clearly listed in each diamond detail page and within the GIA or AGSL diamond grading report. For the most beautiful diamond, look for a symmetry grade of excellent (EX), very good (VG), or good (G) for a GIA graded diamond, and ideal (ID), excellent (EX), very good (VG), or good (G) for an AGSL graded diamond. Avoid diamonds with symmetry grades of fair (F) or poor (P), as the alignment of their facets may misdirect light so severely that it affects the brilliance of the diamond.
Color is the second most important aspect .When looking at a diamond, the human eye notices the diamond's cut first and its color second. Color becomes especially important when considering diamonds of larger size, since the additional light reflected from a larger diamond can make the color more noticeable.
The color in diamonds graded detracts from the beauty of a diamond. It's especially noticeable set in platinum or white gold
.Diamonds with the color D are absolutely colorless and are considered the rarest and most desirable. Diamonds with the color grades of E and F are still colorless to the naked eye. The color in diamonds of these grades can only be detected by an expert gemologist.
Diamond Clarity
The clarity grade has little effect on a diamond's visible appearance except in larger diamonds. The larger a diamond is, the larger the facet; larger facets expand the visible clarity. Out of the 4 C's, clarity is considered the least important. It is primarily the precision of thecut that determines how brilliant and sparkling a diamond will be. The better the cut, the less likely you will be able t
Certifications
A diamond certificate, is a report created by a team of gemologists. The diamond is evaluated, measured, and scrutinized using trained eyes, a microscope, and other industry tools. A completed certificate includes an analysis of the diamond’s dimensions, clarity, color, polish, symmetry, and other characteristics.
Institutes
Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL). These two laboratories are among the most respected laboratories in the diamond industry, and are known for their consistency and unbiased diamond grading systems. Diamonds that are accompanied by these grading reports are the most highly valued in the industry.